Find a TenderAwarded without competition

Published 11 Feb 2025, 16:06 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

SHEDL eBook Collections - Springer Nature

Official notice

Authority: APUC Ltd (Public body)

Framework agreementServicesAward procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Sectors: Printed matter and related products (22)Education & Training (80) Delivery: Scotland (UKM)

Framework ceiling (notional)Value not publishedframework ceiling, not attributable revenue

Awarded 11 Feb 2025no call for competition

What is being bought

Published requirement description

APUC is seeking to enter into an agreement with Springer Nature to offer Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL) members institutions access to Springer Nature online books, free of digital rights management (DRM), for up to 4 years.

APUC will not use the content but will facilitate the purchase on behalf of the HE institutions in Scotland and the National Library of Scotland. The Contract value is estimated based on potential participation by its members

CPV: Education and training services · Library books

How this framework works

From the published notice

Bids received: 1 bids received · 2 suppliers appointed

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1Awarded

Delivery: Scotland · Scotland

22113000 Library books 80000000 Education and training services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached

Procedure method: Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Legal basis: CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category: Services
Notice status: Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold: Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime: Standard
Commercial structure: Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement: Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type: Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered: Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 11 Feb 2025, 16:06 GMT
Last source update: 23 Jul 2025, 14:02 BST
Authority reference: LIB1026 AP
FTS notice number: 2025/S 000-042386
Classification (CPV): Education and training servicesLibrary books
Delivery area: Scotland (UKM)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04ddd9 Find a Tender

Why no open competition: The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to procurement aiming at the creation or acquisition of a unique work of art or artistic performance
Published justification: The publishing service is unique to the supplier and sector. The agreement falls within the derogation contained within Regulation 33(b)(i)of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, permitting APUC to enter into the direct award.

Publisher note: The following documents should be submitted prior to award. This is for information only and will not be scored:- Appendix B - Freedom of Information Appendix D -Sustain Supply Chain Code of Conduct Appendix I(a) - GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) Contractor Assessment Form Appendix I(b) - GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) Assessment Form (AI) Appendix J - SCM RP Section 1 Contract of Performance Condition SUBMISSION OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Prior to the commencement of the Contract, the Contractor will provide the Authority with contact details of the Management Information contact who will be provided with a template spreadsheet/reporting schedule along with a username and password for the management information website http://www.ucsp.ac.uk/ The Contractors must provide the information on a quarterly basis, within 10 working days following the start of each quarter by logging into the website and uploading the template document. If there has been no spend for the quarter, then this will still require you to log in and record a nil spend return. (SC Ref:801915)

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Suppliers appointed 2admitted to the panel · see the list ↓

Bids received 1

Contracts signed 2latest 11 Feb 2025

2 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.

Contracts

All 2 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £2,500,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.

Contract 004610-2025-LIB1026 AP-1
Signed
11 Feb 2025
Value
ceiling above
Status
active
Contract 042386-2025-LIB1026 AP-1
Signed
11 Feb 2025
Value
ceiling above
Status
active

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
1bids · 1 electronic · 1 from abroad	0	—	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

APUC Limited

Contracting authorityPublic bodyBody governed by public lawEducation Unit 27, Stirling Business Centre, Wellgreen, Stirling, Scotland, FK8 2DZContact name, email, phone

Dispute resolution & review bodies

Stirling Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court Sheriff CourtReview body StirlingContact email, phone

Framework contractors & participating bidders

2 commercial parties on the notice

Springer NatureFramework contractor The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, UK, N1 9XSContact phone
Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbHFramework contractor Europaplatz 3, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany, Heidelberg, DE, 69115Contact phone

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice.